Chord-strings of a zither.



H. C. MARXx CHORD STRINGS 0F A ZlTHER.

APPLICATION. man Amma, ma.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

C. MARX, OF PALMER, KANSAS, ASSKIGNOR T0 THE PHONOHARP COMPANY, OF

EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CHORD-STRINGS OF A ZITHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

Application filed August 28, 1913. Serial No. 787,154.

To all whom t may concern t Be it known that I, HENRY C. MARX, a. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Palmer, in the county of lVashington and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Chord-Strings of a Zither, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to stringed musical instruments of the general character of those known as harps or Zithers, and in which there is a series of melody strings arranged in a scale, usually two octaves, and groups of chord strings. Such instruments are usually of the toy variety, and are lim- -ited in the number of chord and melody strings so that compositions can be played in only one or possibly two keys.

The object of this invention is to produce a Zither having the melody strings arranged -to form a complete chromatic scale, so that a musical composition in any key may be played thereon, and having the chord strings arranged in independent groups so that the tonic, dominant and sub-dominant chords for any key may be struck by a player having little musical knowledge.

The further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of such chord strings, in which the smallest possible number of groups of strings will be employed, for playing the complete cycle of keys, and in which the groups of strings for the dominant and sub-dominant chords will be immediately adjacent the group for the tonic chord. I accomplish this by grouping the chord strings so that the tonic chord of one key forms the dominant and the sub-dominant chords respectively of the immediately adjacent keys, so that, progressively, each group of strings forms a sub dominant chord for one key, a tonic chord for another key, and a dominant chord for still another key. Each three adjacent groups of strings therefore form the major dominant and subdominant chords of a key, for which the middle group of strings produces the major tonic chord.

On the accompanying drawing-Figure l represents a musical instrument embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the groups of chord strings.

The shape, size and details of construction of the body 3 of the instrument form no part of the present invention except of course that the body should be generally harpor Zither-shaped.

Above the sounding board are stretched the melody strings which are indicated at A, and which are tuned to produce the tones of a complete chromatic scale, preferably of two or more octaves. For each tone I prefer two strings as ordinarily, although this is not at all essential. On the instrument as shown, the two lowest melody strings are tuned to middle C. To the left of the melody strings are twelve groups of chord strings, each group preferably comprising four strings and forming the tonic chord of a key. That is, each group comprises a bass string 5, a string (i tuned one or more octaves higher, and two strings 7 and 8 tuned respectively to a third and a fifth. The several groups are tuned to form the tonic chords corresponding to the tones of the complete chromatic scale. l

0n the body of the instrument, I 'have shown beneath each group of chord strings a musical symbol or character denoting the key for which such group forms the tonic chord. Of course it is immaterial which group is arranged first. As shown, however, the lirst group of four strings, D# G A# D# forms the tonic chord of they key of D# orv It will be noted vthat this group contains a low bass string D# and a string D# which produces a tone an octave higher, and also strings G and A# which are respectively a third and a fifth. Proceeding to the right are similar groups of strings forming complete tonic chords for the keys of A# (Bb), F, C, G, D, A, E, B, F# (or Gb) C# (orD b) and G# (or A b). According to this arrangement, it will be seen that for each key there is a fixed or independent group of strings forming the tonic chord, and that on the right side thereof and immediately adjacent thereto is a group of strings forming the dominant chord, and that on the left side thereof and immediately adjacent thereto is ai group of strings forming the sub-dominant chord of the same key. Thus each group serves as the tonic chord of one key, the dominant chord of another key, and the sub-dominant chord of a third key. Preferably the chords are all within a fairly close range of pitch, although some of the chords are not in their closest positions, because it is not essential lOO that they should be. In any case, exclusive of the root or bass string, the three strings of each tonic chord form a triad, and they may be arranged in the order of first, third and fifth; third, fifth and first; or fifth, first and third, or otherwise as may be desired. Of course the groups could be arranged in the reverse order, with the group forming the dominant chord on the left of the group forming the tonic chord, and the group forming the sub-dominant chord on the right thereof, without otherwise affecting the arrangement.

In the several groups of chord strings, the string for the low bass or root is to the left, so that it may be played or sounded separately, and the three remaining strings, forming a triad, to wit, the tonic, the third and the fth, may be played simultaneously. If desired, the low bass string could be on the right. Another result which I secure is that the low bass string of any one group is in harmony with the chord of the adjacent group. In other words, each low bass string is one or more octaves lower than a string in the adjacent group, thus preventing a discord when the performer runs by accident from one group into the next. Thus the bass string of each chord forms the fifth of the tonic chord produced by the group on one side thereof, and the fourth for the key of the tonic chord produced by the group on the other side thereof.

I claim l. A stringed musical instrument having a plurality of differently tuned groups of chord strings, each group consisting only of strings each having a fixed tone, said strings producing the tonic base, and the tonic, third and fifth tones, to form a complete tonic chord, said groups being tuned and arranged with the groups of strings producing dominant and sub-dominant chords next adjacent the group producing the tonic chord of the same key.

2. A stringed musical instrument comprising a plurality of groups of chord strings, each group comprising a tonic bass string and tonic, third and fifth strings, the bass strings being in the same relative positions in all the groups, said groups being so arranged that the tonic strings of each group form the fifth of one next adjacent group and the fourth of the other next adjacent group of chord strings.

3. A stringed musical instrument comprising twelve groups of chord strings, said groups forming complete independent tonic chords of all the tones of the chromatic scale, and each group comprising a tonic bass and a triad, the bass strings occupying the same relative positions in all the groups, Said groups being arranged With the group of strings for the tonic chord of any key immediately next to and located between the groups producing the dominant and subdominant chords of the same key.

4. A stringed musical instrument having melody strings forming a complete chromatic scale, and twelve groups of strings, each group forming a tonic bass and a complete tonic chord, there being one group for each tone of the chromatic scale, said grou s being arranged so that each grou forms t e tonic chord of one key, the domlnant chord for one next adjacent group whose tonic is the fifth of said key, and the sub-dominant chord for the other next adjacent group Whose tonic is the fourth of said ke In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. MARX.

Titnesses MARCUS B. MAY, A. L. FoLsoM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

